Dr. M. H. Sullivan School
Name of Student: Kaitlyn Sharkey
Use the sites discussed in class to (1) assemble information about your school and (2) write one or more paragraphs for each type of information that you find.You should be able to combine these paragraphs, along with an introduction and conclusion to create a free standing, coherent, evidence-based description of your school.
Be sure that each of your paragraphs includes:
A strong topic sentence.
An explanation of why the data you chose to cite relates to the subject you are addressing, e.g. you should state why you feel that the student/teacher ratio informs your judgement about the school's ability to provide high quality teaching. These sentences should be based on the definitions of some of these measures on the InfoWorks site, but can also include your own reasoning about the subject.
Multiple pieces of specific data to support your claim. Each measure should include a comparison so that the reader can judge whether the value is relatively high or low.
Include the students' view of the school when possible.
Note: Tables are not provided because it is possible to just copy and paste the tables from the Infoworks site directly in this page!
In this elementary school, there are different demographics regarding race and gender as well. 40 % of the 35 kids who answered were boys, 42.9% were girls and 17.1 % said they would rather not answer. Compared to the entire state of Rhode Island, 50.8 % said male, 48.8% said female and 2.4 % said they would rather not answer. The gender demographics are pretty even however when looking at the race demographics, it is pretty spread out between different races. 64.1% of kids in the state Rhode Island are white, while only 24.2% in Dr. M.H. Sullivan school are white. The rest of the demographics include African American (36.4% in Newport and 7.3% in Rhode Island), Asian (0% in Newport and 3.7% in Rhode Island), and people with more than one race (30.3% in Newport and 12.2% in Rhode Island).
Student Achievement
Information Reported By Schools
Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP)
AYP Status
Classification
View Details
AYP Status and Classification 2010-11
—
—
view details
AYP Summary Report 2010-11
Made AYP
Met AYP
view details
NECAP Assessments
% Proficient School
% Proficient State
View Details
3rd Grade Math 2010-11
33%
62%
view details
3rd Grade Reading 2010-11
48%
71%
view details
4th Grade Math 2010-11
39%
63%
view details
4th Grade Reading 2010-11
54%
68%
view details
4th Grade Science 2009-10
31%
44%
view details
Information Reported By Students
Although not much information was reported by the students about their achievement, they reported much information involving their teachers. The survey includes many aspects of their teaching such as group work, help after being absent and their attitude towards teaching. One important factor I believe should be addressed is "My teachers help me after I miss a day of school." 35 kids were surveyed and only 20% said always, the same amount said never, while 34.3% said sometimes. I believe that on the high school or college level, these percentages could be appropriate, however at an elementary school level, I feel that teachers should make more of an effort to help students stay on track considering they learn the most when they are younger. Most of the percentages from surveyed questions were surprising and kind of low where they are expected to be high. One other category that is surprising is, "My teachers care about me." From the low percentages that came out of the last example I used, I expected these percentages to be low, however 64.7% out of the 34 students surveyed said always and only 2.9% said never. Newport has some shocking percentages however, at least the students are excited about learning and have a good AYP report.
AYP Report Card
Number of Target Areas Evaluated: 9
Number of Targets Met: 9
Areas that need improvement: N/A
Summary Paragraph(s)
Much can be said about student achievement just by looking at the chart given by the school as well as the accounts given by the students. Looking at the chart for student achievement, there are only testing scores from the 3rd and 4th graders because younger children are not required to take such assessments. Every percentage in the column labeled, "% Proficient School," meaning Dr. M. H. Sullivan Elementary School, is lower then that of the state of Rhode Island. In fact every percentage is significantly lower then the state average, which is upsetting. The 3rd grade Math scores are close to half of the proficient scores for the state itself and the 4th grade science scores are the lowest on the entire chart, even though they are not far behind the state average. The Newport school system needs to do something about these low tests scores, otherwise the children who dream of doing well in school will not stand a chance, especially without the proper teaching and help.
Teaching
Information Reported By Schools
Qualifications and Teacher-Student Ratio
This School
Statewide
Teachers with Emergency Certification 2010-11
0%
1%
Not High Qualified Teachers 2010-11
0%
3%
Teacher-Student Ratio 2010-11
1:8
1:11
Information Reported by Students
Considering the fact that not much was reported by students for their own achievement, there was much information to use about the teaching styles at this school. From the percentages that were presented after the survey, it is safe to say that the teachers need to either change their teaching styles or be replaced. One category surveyed was "I think my teachers like teaching," which turned out positively with 56.3% out of the 32 asked, saying strongly agree. This is a somewhat good result, however it is some what contradicted when you look at the percentages that came out of, "My teachers will explain something different ways until I get it." Out of the 34 asked, only 29.4% said always, 38.2% said mostly, 26.5% said sometimes and 5.9% never. Teachers help and mold students at this young age, and considering this expectation they have, it should be brought to their attention that not all their students feel confident about all topics and they should be helped as much as possible to improve their chances at success.
Summary Paragraph(s)
Judging by the information reported by the schools and students, teaching in Newport, RI could definitely use some improving. None of the teachers at this elementary school are high qualified teachers or Emergency certified. This statistic is very frightening to people who are looking at the statistics, especially parents who are looking to send their kids here. This school includes PreK and Kindergarten, when children are probably the most vulnerable and its scary to think that none of the teachers are high qualified. There is much to learn about young children and high certifications are necessary. In the higher grades, the teaching is not that much better considering that 29.4% of the students said their teachers always explain something different ways until they understand it. Higher percentages need to come out of this elementary school.
Family,Community, and Home Life
Information Reported By Schools
Student Characteristics (2010-2011)
This School
Statewide
View Details
Student Eligibility for Subsidized Lunch
88%
43%
view details
Students from Various Racial/Ethnic Backgrounds
—
—
view details
Students Receiving ESL/Bilingual Education Services
7%
5%
view details
Students Receiving Special Education Services
28%
16%
view details
Information Reported by Students
From the information reported by the students, it is evident that they have a positive family life and support system the instant they get home. Out of 32 students surveyed, 100% of them said they agree with the statement, "My parents want to know what I'm doing in school," which is a very good motivator for the kids themselves to work hard and get good grades. In addition, 90.3% of the 31 students asked said they agreed with, "My parents want to know what I'm doing in school," which is also great because they care about their child's education and schooling. Accompanying parents, their friends are a very good support system and 84.4% of 32 kids said they could talk to a good friend about their problems.
Involving themselves in out of school activities is also very important and can improve their social skills and health, depending on their activity. About 72.7% of the kids said they played outside, 27.3% said they dance and 42.4% said they ride their bike. While there are other activities such as playing and instrument and acting in plays, they weren't nearly as high as the "active" activities that get the kids moving and exercising.
Summary Paragraph(s)
From the information from the school and the information from the students, figuring out how their home and family life is, is easy. Although almost all the students have a very emotionally supportive family life, 88% of them qualify for subsidized lunches, due to income in the household. About 28% of the students in the school are receiving Special Education Services, however, it is unclear if that is the percentage of students who receive it because they need it or because they qualify for it. There can be many students under the radar that need the services but don't "qualify" for it due to the tests they must take to assess them. Overall however, the family/home life that the children in Dr. M H Sullivan Elementary School is very supportive of them.
Safe and Supportive Schools
Information Reported By Schools
Attendance
This School
Statewide
View Details
Attendance Rate (Elementary Schools) 2009-10
92%
94%
view details
Chronic Absenteeism 2008-09
31%
16%
—
Incidents of Suspension (2009-2010)
This School
Statewide
View Details
Number of Incidents (Elementary Schools)
152
2914
view details
Student Indicators (2009-2010)
This School
Statewide
View Details
Stability Index (Elementary Schools)
78%
87%
—
Mobility Index (Elementary Schools)
25%
13%
—
Information Reported by Students
According to the students at Dr. M. H. Sullivan Elementary School, they usually feel safe and are safe, despite the little violence that does occur. When asked if they have been bullied at school, 62.5% out of 32 kids said yes compared to the 57% in the entire state of Rhode Island, making both more than half. In addition to those statistics, less than 25% of the kids surveyed said they were involved in a physical fight (20.7%), saw a weapon in school (22.6%) and have been robbed during school (19.4%).61.3% of these kids said they felt threatened when they saw strangers in the hallways, which compared to the 45% in the state, is very good. It is important that children in the age groups that attend elementary school are educated on the danger of strangers.
Safety can also relate to health when dealing with drugs and alcohol in schools. This elementary school should have 0% next to every category pertaining to that, however unfortunately it isn't. 3.1% out of 32 students said they consumed alcohol without their parents permission (4.7% in the entire state) and 9.7% said they smoked tobacco which is more than 3 times the amount of the statewide statistic which is only 3%. Fortunately, none of the students reported doing drugs(cocaine, heroin etc.) or being offered drugs in school; the best statistics.
Summary Paragraph(s)
Although there are some safety issues present in this school, the school doesn't seem to suffer that much. The attendance rate in this Newport Elementary school is 92%, only 2% behind the entire state! That says a lot, considering that more than half of the students said they were bullied, which can sometimes lead to children not wanting to return to school in order to avoid their bullying. There were 152 incidents of suspension in the school year, compared to the 2,914 suspension rates in the entire state. However, 152 is a lot for an entire school year, especially with kids under the age of about 11. In general, the safety of the school seems to be in good condition, especially because the children can recognize danger when they see it.
Funding and Resources
Information Reported By Schools
Tax and Spending FY2008
This District
View Details
District Property Value per Student
$2,684,007.00
—
District Tax Rate per $1000.00
$8.67
—
District Per Pupil Expenditure
$18,754.43
—
District Property Tax Capacity
$161.00
—
District Tax Effort
$73.00
—
District Median Family Income
$54,116.00
—
Information Reported by Students
When looking at the information reported by students, the funding and resources in this school see to be very good. 79.4% said that their school looked nice on the inside and 96.9% of the students said that there is enough books for everyone in their class. However, only 14.7% said they use computers in class and 67.6% said that the temperature is just right in their class only sometimes. From this information, the school has pretty good funding. The computer problem could possibly be because the teacher doesn't include it in their curriculum, not because they don't have them; it is never really specified.
Summary Paragraph(s)
The funding for the school and the information given by students seems to make it seem like the students have enough funding to get the proper resources in school. Each student generally gets their own desk and book, which is very important.
The computer problem could possibly be because the teacher doesn't include it in their curriculum, not because they don't have them; it is never really specified.
Dr. M. H. Sullivan School
Name of Student: Kaitlyn Sharkey
Use the sites discussed in class to (1) assemble information about your school and (2) write one or more paragraphs for each type of information that you find.You should be able to combine these paragraphs, along with an introduction and conclusion to create a free standing, coherent, evidence-based description of your school.
Be sure that each of your paragraphs includes:
Note: Tables are not provided because it is possible to just copy and paste the tables from the Infoworks site directly in this page!
Useful Sources:
School Demographics and Geographical Location
In this elementary school, there are different demographics regarding race and gender as well. 40 % of the 35 kids who answered were boys, 42.9% were girls and 17.1 % said they would rather not answer. Compared to the entire state of Rhode Island, 50.8 % said male, 48.8% said female and 2.4 % said they would rather not answer. The gender demographics are pretty even however when looking at the race demographics, it is pretty spread out between different races. 64.1% of kids in the state Rhode Island are white, while only 24.2% in Dr. M.H. Sullivan school are white. The rest of the demographics include African American (36.4% in Newport and 7.3% in Rhode Island), Asian (0% in Newport and 3.7% in Rhode Island), and people with more than one race (30.3% in Newport and 12.2% in Rhode Island).
Student Achievement
Information Reported By Schools
Information Reported By Students
Although not much information was reported by the students about their achievement, they reported much information involving their teachers. The survey includes many aspects of their teaching such as group work, help after being absent and their attitude towards teaching. One important factor I believe should be addressed is "My teachers help me after I miss a day of school." 35 kids were surveyed and only 20% said always, the same amount said never, while 34.3% said sometimes. I believe that on the high school or college level, these percentages could be appropriate, however at an elementary school level, I feel that teachers should make more of an effort to help students stay on track considering they learn the most when they are younger. Most of the percentages from surveyed questions were surprising and kind of low where they are expected to be high. One other category that is surprising is, "My teachers care about me." From the low percentages that came out of the last example I used, I expected these percentages to be low, however 64.7% out of the 34 students surveyed said always and only 2.9% said never. Newport has some shocking percentages however, at least the students are excited about learning and have a good AYP report.AYP Report Card
Summary Paragraph(s)
Much can be said about student achievement just by looking at the chart given by the school as well as the accounts given by the students. Looking at the chart for student achievement, there are only testing scores from the 3rd and 4th graders because younger children are not required to take such assessments. Every percentage in the column labeled, "% Proficient School," meaning Dr. M. H. Sullivan Elementary School, is lower then that of the state of Rhode Island. In fact every percentage is significantly lower then the state average, which is upsetting. The 3rd grade Math scores are close to half of the proficient scores for the state itself and the 4th grade science scores are the lowest on the entire chart, even though they are not far behind the state average. The Newport school system needs to do something about these low tests scores, otherwise the children who dream of doing well in school will not stand a chance, especially without the proper teaching and help.Teaching
Information Reported By Schools
Information Reported by Students
Considering the fact that not much was reported by students for their own achievement, there was much information to use about the teaching styles at this school. From the percentages that were presented after the survey, it is safe to say that the teachers need to either change their teaching styles or be replaced. One category surveyed was "I think my teachers like teaching," which turned out positively with 56.3% out of the 32 asked, saying strongly agree. This is a somewhat good result, however it is some what contradicted when you look at the percentages that came out of, "My teachers will explain something different ways until I get it." Out of the 34 asked, only 29.4% said always, 38.2% said mostly, 26.5% said sometimes and 5.9% never. Teachers help and mold students at this young age, and considering this expectation they have, it should be brought to their attention that not all their students feel confident about all topics and they should be helped as much as possible to improve their chances at success.Summary Paragraph(s)
Judging by the information reported by the schools and students, teaching in Newport, RI could definitely use some improving. None of the teachers at this elementary school are high qualified teachers or Emergency certified. This statistic is very frightening to people who are looking at the statistics, especially parents who are looking to send their kids here. This school includes PreK and Kindergarten, when children are probably the most vulnerable and its scary to think that none of the teachers are high qualified. There is much to learn about young children and high certifications are necessary. In the higher grades, the teaching is not that much better considering that 29.4% of the students said their teachers always explain something different ways until they understand it. Higher percentages need to come out of this elementary school.Family,Community, and Home Life
Information Reported By Schools
Information Reported by Students
From the information reported by the students, it is evident that they have a positive family life and support system the instant they get home. Out of 32 students surveyed, 100% of them said they agree with the statement, "My parents want to know what I'm doing in school," which is a very good motivator for the kids themselves to work hard and get good grades. In addition, 90.3% of the 31 students asked said they agreed with, "My parents want to know what I'm doing in school," which is also great because they care about their child's education and schooling. Accompanying parents, their friends are a very good support system and 84.4% of 32 kids said they could talk to a good friend about their problems.Involving themselves in out of school activities is also very important and can improve their social skills and health, depending on their activity. About 72.7% of the kids said they played outside, 27.3% said they dance and 42.4% said they ride their bike. While there are other activities such as playing and instrument and acting in plays, they weren't nearly as high as the "active" activities that get the kids moving and exercising.
Summary Paragraph(s)
From the information from the school and the information from the students, figuring out how their home and family life is, is easy. Although almost all the students have a very emotionally supportive family life, 88% of them qualify for subsidized lunches, due to income in the household. About 28% of the students in the school are receiving Special Education Services, however, it is unclear if that is the percentage of students who receive it because they need it or because they qualify for it. There can be many students under the radar that need the services but don't "qualify" for it due to the tests they must take to assess them. Overall however, the family/home life that the children in Dr. M H Sullivan Elementary School is very supportive of them.Safe and Supportive Schools
Information Reported By Schools
Information Reported by Students
According to the students at Dr. M. H. Sullivan Elementary School, they usually feel safe and are safe, despite the little violence that does occur. When asked if they have been bullied at school, 62.5% out of 32 kids said yes compared to the 57% in the entire state of Rhode Island, making both more than half. In addition to those statistics, less than 25% of the kids surveyed said they were involved in a physical fight (20.7%), saw a weapon in school (22.6%) and have been robbed during school (19.4%).61.3% of these kids said they felt threatened when they saw strangers in the hallways, which compared to the 45% in the state, is very good. It is important that children in the age groups that attend elementary school are educated on the danger of strangers.Safety can also relate to health when dealing with drugs and alcohol in schools. This elementary school should have 0% next to every category pertaining to that, however unfortunately it isn't. 3.1% out of 32 students said they consumed alcohol without their parents permission (4.7% in the entire state) and 9.7% said they smoked tobacco which is more than 3 times the amount of the statewide statistic which is only 3%. Fortunately, none of the students reported doing drugs(cocaine, heroin etc.) or being offered drugs in school; the best statistics.
Summary Paragraph(s)
Although there are some safety issues present in this school, the school doesn't seem to suffer that much. The attendance rate in this Newport Elementary school is 92%, only 2% behind the entire state! That says a lot, considering that more than half of the students said they were bullied, which can sometimes lead to children not wanting to return to school in order to avoid their bullying. There were 152 incidents of suspension in the school year, compared to the 2,914 suspension rates in the entire state. However, 152 is a lot for an entire school year, especially with kids under the age of about 11. In general, the safety of the school seems to be in good condition, especially because the children can recognize danger when they see it.Funding and Resources
Information Reported By Schools
Information Reported by Students
When looking at the information reported by students, the funding and resources in this school see to be very good. 79.4% said that their school looked nice on the inside and 96.9% of the students said that there is enough books for everyone in their class. However, only 14.7% said they use computers in class and 67.6% said that the temperature is just right in their class only sometimes. From this information, the school has pretty good funding. The computer problem could possibly be because the teacher doesn't include it in their curriculum, not because they don't have them; it is never really specified.
Summary Paragraph(s)
The funding for the school and the information given by students seems to make it seem like the students have enough funding to get the proper resources in school. Each student generally gets their own desk and book, which is very important.The computer problem could possibly be because the teacher doesn't include it in their curriculum, not because they don't have them; it is never really specified.